The present invention relates to the use of communication networks such as the Internet to connect users of common interests. In particular, the present invention provides techniques for sharing content information between members of a virtual user group without compromising the privacy of the members.
With the widespread use of computers, an expanding telecommunication network, and the rising popularity of communication networks such as the Internet, an increasing amount of information is stored by computer systems coupled to the communication networks. In the World Wide Web (“Web”) environment, information resources are typically stored in the form of hypertext documents called “web pages” which can be accessed and read by users of the Web. A web page may incorporate any combination of text, graphics, audio and video content, software programs, and other data. Web pages may also contain hypertext links to other web pages. Web pages are typically stored on web servers or content servers coupled to the Internet. Each web page is uniquely identified by an address called a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that enables users to access the web page.
Computer systems connected to communication networks such as the Internet can generally be classified as “clients” or “servers” depending on the role the computer systems play with respect to requesting information or storing/providing information. Computers systems which are used by users to access information are typically called “client” computers. Users typically access web pages using a program called a “web browser” which generally executes on a client computer coupled to the Internet. The web browser is a type of client application that enables users to select, retrieve, and perceive information contained in web pages. Examples of browsers include the Internet Explorer browser program provided by Microsoft Corporation, the Netscape Navigator browser provided by Netscape Corporation, and others. Users generally access web pages by providing URL information to the browser, either directly or indirectly, and the browser responds by retrieving the web page corresponding to the user-provided URL from the Internet. The retrieved web page is then displayed to the requesting user on the client computer.
The web pages are generally stored by “server” computer systems coupled to the communication network. Server systems are responsible for receiving information requests from client systems, performing processing required to satisfy the requests, and for forwarding the results/information corresponding to the information requests back to the requesting client systems. The processing required to satisfy the client request may be performed by a single server system or may alternatively be delegated to other servers connected to the communication network, such as the Internet. It should be apparent that a particular computer system may function both as a server and a client.
Communication networks, such as the Internet, are also being widely used as tools to connect users having similar interests, hobbies, preferences, and the like. This is evidenced by the increasing number of portals, virtual communities, chat rooms, etc. related to a variety of different topics and subjects. These “virtual user communities” bring together users of similar interests for purposes of trading or discussion or simply exchange of information. For example, if a particular user is interested in “Thai Cooking,” the user can become a member of a virtual user group dedicated to Thai cooking and exchange information with other user members interested in Thai cooking.
In order to participate in such virtual user groups, a user has to identify a particular virtual user group of interest to the user and then become a member (or join) of the virtual user group to be able to exchange information with other members of the virtual user groups. Due to the vast proliferation of virtual user groups, in order to identify a virtual user group of interest to the user, most users generally use search engines to help identify one or more virtual user groups from a large collection of virtual user groups hosted by computer systems coupled to the communication network. Examples of search engines in the Internet environment include search engines provided by Yahoo, Google, Lycos, Excite, Altavista, and the like.
Search engines typically use programs such as crawlers or spiders to find information about virtual user groups supported or hosted by computer systems coupled to the communication network. The information collected by a crawler may include the name of the virtual user group, the topic or subject to which the virtual user group is dedicated, information about the server system hosting the virtual user group, and other like information. The information collected by a crawler is usually stored by the server providing the search engine in the form of an index which facilitates identification of virtual user groups based on criteria related to the virtual user groups. The structure of an index may vary based on the search engine.
In order to identify virtual user groups of interest, a user generally configures a query using a client computer. The query may contain query terms which describe, for example, a topic or concept for which the user is interested in finding virtual user groups. For example, if the user is interested in finding virtual user groups related Thai cooking, the query terms may include the words “Thai” and “cooking.”
The user-configured query is then communicated from the user's client computer to a remote server system executing a search engine. Upon receiving the search query, the search engine executing on the remote server identifies virtual user groups which match or satisfy the user query based upon information stored in the index used by the search engine. Information identifying the relevant virtual user groups (i.e. virtual user groups identified to satisfy the user query) is then communicated from the remote search engine server to the user's client computer. The user may then use the information received from the search engine to join one or more virtual user groups.
Some search engines also perform searches implicitly without receiving user input based on the contents of documents (e.g., web pages) viewed by the user. These search engines use the contents of the document being browsed/viewed by the user as a search query which is communicated from the user computer to the search engine server. Based on the contents of the document being viewed by the user and based upon index information being used by the search engine, the search engine identifies virtual user groups of interest to the user. Information related to the virtual user groups identified by the search engine is then communicated to the user system. The information may then be presented to the user via a pop-up screen which appears on an output device coupled to the user system. Examples of companies which provide such implicit search engines include Nano (http://www.nano.com/), Kenjin (http://www.autonomy.com/), Third Voice (http://www.thirdvoice.com/), Flyswat (http://www.flyswat.com), Gurunet (http://www.gurunet.com), Annotate (http://www.annotate.net/) and Alexa (http://www.alexa.com/).
After having identified a virtual user group of interest to the user (e.g., a virtual user group related to Thai cooking), the user may then join (or become a member of) the virtual user group in order to receive and exchange information from/with other members of the virtual user group. In order to become a member of a virtual user group, the user generally has to access a remote server hosting the virtual user group, and provide user related information to the server system hosting the virtual user group to join the virtual user group. The user-related information which the user may be required to provide to the hosting server may include the user's name, address, phone number, email address, and the like. This information is stored by the remote server system hosting the virtual user group. The user is then made a member of the virtual user group. The user may then receive and exchange information with other members of the virtual user group.
There are several ways in which conventional techniques (described above) of identifying and joining virtual user groups can compromise the user's privacy. Conventional search engine servers frequently track and/or mine information provided by the user to the search engine, or in the case of implicit search engines, received by the search engine from the user system. For example, several conventional search engines mine information contained in user search queries (which may contain information of a sensitive and private nature) provided to the search engines. The information is generally mined without the user's approval or authorization. In a Web environment, conventional search engines also track web sites, web pages, etc. accessed by the user, the content of the web pages, transactions performed by the user at the web sites, information related to virtual user groups which the user joins, information about virtual user groups related information accessed by the user, and other like information without the user's permission.
Likewise, user-related information provided by the user to server systems hosting virtual user groups during the joining/registration process may also be mined by the hosting server systems. The hosting server systems can track the identities of virtual groups which the user has joined, the information accessed by the user, and other like information related to the user's interactions with the virtual user group. The hosting servers can also track information which the user shares or exchanges with members of a virtual user group.
The information mined or tracked by conventional search engines or by server systems hosting virtual user groups can be used to ascertain information about the user's interests, likes/dislikes, the user's shopping preferences, information related to the user's use of the Internet, and other information related to the user and the user's behavior. The information can be used to build a detailed profile of the user and the user's browsing behavior. Further, since the user information is stored on computer systems remote from the user's computer system, the user has very little control on the collection and dissemination of the information.
User information collected by the search engines and the servers hosting the virtual user groups, which may be sensitive in nature and contain confidential information, may then be distributed or even sold to entities such as advertising agencies, government agencies, insurance companies, business entities, and the like, without the user's permission. This may result in the user being subjected to unsolicited Spam mail messages, unwelcome advertisements, credit card fraud, mail fraud, banking fraud, and other unwelcome activities. As a result, conventional techniques of identifying virtual user groups using search engines executing on remote servers, joining virtual user groups, and sharing or exchanging information with members of virtual user groups can severely compromise a user's privacy and consequently the user's security—even lead to loss of identity of the user.
In light of the above, there is a need for techniques which allow a user to identify virtual user groups of interest to the user, allow the user to become a member of one or more virtual user groups of interest to the user, and share or exchange information with members of virtual user groups joined by the user without compromising the user's privacy or security.